Why violence against older people needs more attention

Colleges & Student Experience Research & Collaboration - One in four killings by a loved one involves a victim over the age of 60, says new research. The study shines a light on the level and nature of violence against the elderly. It challenges the widely-used assumption that older people are not at risk, or at very low risk, of violent offences. This is resulting in missed opportunities to spot and prevent violence against people over 60. The research also found that older people are equally likely to be killed by their partner as by their child or grandchild. The study recommends more training and improved risk assessment for social workers, police forces and health professionals to help spot signs of potentially dangerous relationships, including those between parents and adult children. The figures behind the research The findings, based on a Freedom of Information request to all police forces in the UK over a five-year period, show that most victims were female, the majority of the killings happened in the victim's home and stabbing was the most common method of killing.